Here Are the 2025 Rammy Awards Winners
The Rammy Awards afterparty went on until 11 p.m. at the top of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center with dancing and DJs. Daniel Swartz
D.C.'s resident dining association announced the winners of the 43rd annual Rammy Awards on Sunday, August 3, providing a snapshot of the restaurant industry around the nation's capital. Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) doled out the awards — and created some controversy over a photo mishap involving two decorated pastry chefs — during a black-tie soiree at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Causa/Amazonia's Carlos Delgado, on the red carpet with his son, won the 2025 Rammy for Best Chef of the Year. Daniel Swartz
Peruvian chef Carlos Delgado continues to rack up major accolades for his work at Shaw's Michelin-starred tasting room Causa and its tropical sibling Amazonia up top. Weeks after taking home the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, he won the Rammy for D.C.'s Best Chef of the Year. Causa/Amazonia also took home the 2024 Rammy for Formal Fine Dining Restaurant. This year, that Rammy went to Shaw's polished vegetable pad Mita, which is also a member of D.C.'s Michelin-starred club.
Category changes in recent years included a move from Pastry Chef of the Year to a more-expansive Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year and the addition of a Best Bar category. Five publicly voted categories (Fast Casual, Gathering Place, Bar, Brunch, and Sandwich Spot of the Year) were open to any eligible restaurant or food service operation in the area, regardless of RAMW membership.
La' Shukran, the Union Market's Levantine hot spot from chef Michael Rafidi, took home two titles: Best New Restaurant and Pastry Chef (Alicia Wang). The latter award came with some drama attached to it. Wang's photo was mistakenly shown on the screen (and in the printed program) as that of fellow nominee and two-time James Beard Award finalist Susan Bae from Moon Rabbit. Wang – who also runs the pastry program at Albi and Yellow – did not go onstage, and her team accepted the award on her behalf. RAMW did not issue an official public apology regarding the much-talked-about snafu. Eater reached out to RAMW and Wang for comment. Bae, who was not in attendance, expressed her 'disappointment' regarding the Rammy photo blunder in an 11:20 p.m. Instagram story that has since been deleted. (In the post, she ate her feelings with a fritter from Back Door Donut in Martha's Vineyard, where she had a previously scheduled dinner.)
Alicia Wang (center) took home the title of top pastry chef for her work at La' Shukran, Albi, and Yellow. Daniel Swartz
Here's the full list of 2025 winners that took home a coveted Washington Monument-shaped glass trophy:
Beer Program of the Year
Atlas Brew Works
Casual Restaurant of the Year
2Fifty Texas BBQ
Chef of the Year
Carlos Delgado – Causa/Amazonia
Cocktail Program of the Year
Jane Jane
Formal Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year
MITA
New Restaurant of the Year
La' Shukran
Pastry Chef or Baker of the Year
Alicia Wang – Yellow/Albi/La' Shukran
Restaurateur of the Year
Seng Luangrath – Baan Mae, Padaek, and Thip Khao
Rising Culinary Star of the Year
Suresh Sundas – Daru
Service Program of the Year
El Cielo
Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year
Tail Up Goat
Wine Program of the Year
Era Wine Bar
Manager of the Year
Lorena Reyes – Founding Farmers
Allied Member of the Year
Keany Produce & Gourmet
Employee of the Year
Juan Sanchez – Cafe du Parc and Willard's Peacock Alley
*Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year
La Tejana
*Favorite Gathering Place of the Year
The Dew Drop Inn
*Best Bar of the Year
Tune Inn Restaurant and Bar
*Best Brunch of the Year
Le Diplomate
*Hottest Sandwich Spot of the Year
Jetties
Washington Nationals' 'Racing Presidents' (including Abraham Lincoln-turned-DJ) entertained guests well into the night. Tierney Plumb/Eater DC
Nominees must be members of RAMW, and several categories have requirements regarding the length of time a restaurant has been operational; previous winners aren't eligible to claim the same category for five years after a win. An anonymous panel of judges in food and media ultimately chooses nominees and honorees across most food and beverage categories.
RAMW also presented Honorary Milestone Awards to legacy restaurants around the DMV that have reached 'significant anniversaries of service':
D.C. (25 years):
Bistrot du Coin
Chef Geoff's
Bobby Van's Steakhouse
Maryland (25 years):
Caribbean Superior
Virginia (50 years):
Heidelberg Bakery
Celebrity Delly
RAMW previously presented several 2025 leadership awards at the Hamilton Hotel on July 1 (Ruth Gresser, Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award; Virginia Ali and The Ben's Chili Bowl Foundation, John G. Laytham Exceptional Leadership Award; and Linda Roth, Honorary Rammy Award).
Ben's Chili Bowl's 91-year-old co-founder Virginia Ali sat in the front row. Daniel Swartz
Eater DC
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